Trolling outboard motor control



Sept. 3, 1957 H. w. MOSER 2,804,338

TROLLING OUTBOARD MOTOR CONTROL Filed Nov. 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g- 4 INVEIVI'OR Hora/a'WMoser ATTORNEY P 3, 1957 H. w. MOSER TROLLING OUTBOARD MOTOR CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 16, 1955 INVENTOR Harold W Maser ATTORNEY United States Patent TROLLING OUTBOARD MOTOR (IQNTEZDL Harold W. Moser, Evansville, Ind.

Application November 16, 1955, Serial No. 547,264

7 Claims. (Cl. 115-18) The present invention relates to automatic propulsion of boats and more particularly to power control for the steering of outboard electrically powered boat motors.

Heretofore, outboard boat motors have been clamped to the transom at the stern of the boat, requiring the operator of the motor to remain in the rear seat, using one hand to control the motor and making it difiicult to effectively handle fishing lines during the trolling operation. Although various attempts have been made to provide steering means which will control the steering of the motor, such previously known means have required complicated alterations in the boat or motor construction and, therefore, have not met with universal acceptance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a steering means which will be effective to control the direction of movement of a boat while permitting the operator to be positioned in any convenient location in the boat such as in the middle of the boat or near the front thereof.

A further object is to provide an automatic foot control by means of which a boat motor may be steered and/ or the operation of the motor controlled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foot pedal of general utility for controlling various devices including electrical switches and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for existing boat motors by means of which relatively unskilled persons may change a manual steering motor into a power steered motor in a minimum of time and without complicated tools.

Other and further objects will be apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a boat with an electrically driven outboard motor secured thereto and showing the battery for powering and a foot pedal assembly for controlling the operation of the propulsion motor, and the steering motor, and illustrating the fisherman in phantom lines using both of his hands for the fishing operation;

Fig. 2, a perspective of the foot control pedal assembly showing the electrical leads and socket;

Fig. 3, a vertical section taken through the steering housing sleeve and collar of the present invention and showing the split construction of such housing, sleeve and collar and illustrating the cooperation with the usual steering column of the boat motor;

Fig. 4, a horizontal section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5, a perspective of the base for the pedals showing the arrangement of switches and wiring therein with the pedals partially broken away;

Fig. 6, an exploded detail of the isolating bar and its pivot which prevents simultaneous operation of the right and left steering pedals;

Fig. 7, a wiring diagram illustrating a suitable control including switches for supplying power to the propulsion and steering motors;

p Ci

Fig. 8, a view showing bushing sections for cooperation with the collar sections for accommodating such collar sections to different diameters of steering shafts; and

Fig. 9, a similar view of bushing sections to cooperate with the sleeve sections for accommodating diiferent diameters of steering shafts.

Briefly stated, the present invention includes an attachment formed of a series of semi-cylindrical parts adapted to be applied over the steering column of an electrically operated outboard boat motor and including a split sleeve adapted to surround the column with such split sleeve having serrations at its upper end. The split sleeve has a worm gear fixed thereto and is adapted to be received in suitable bearings formed in a split housing which may rotate relative to such split sleeve with an electrical steering motor driving a worm which cooperates with the worm gear on the rotatable sleeve. A split collar having indentations on its lower edge is adapted to be clamped to the steering column above the rotatable sleeve and cooperate with the serrations of such sleeve so as to prevent relative rotation between the sleeve and the collar when the steering is done by a steering motor but permitting slipping when the operator decides to steer the boat with the usual tiller handle. The steering motor is of the permanent magnet field type such as is used in electric model trains and its direction of rotation is controlled by two switches, each switch being operated by an independent foot pedal with means to prevent both foot pedals from being depressed at the same time. The foot pedals for controlling the steering motor are mounted on a base which also supports a third foot pedal which controls the supply of current to the boat propulsion motor and the arrangement is such that a fisherman may press on the propulsion motor control pedal, or the propulsion motor control pedal and one of the pedals for steering at the same time so that the entire control of the motor can be accomplished with one foot.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a boat 10, carrying a fisherman 11, is provided with an outboard motor 12 secured to the boat transom by a U-shaped clamp 13 having the usual thumb screws 14 threaded through one arm of the U-shaped clamp 13, the other arm of the clamp being provided with a plurality of projections 16 to provide positive contact with the outer surface of the boat transom.

The outboard motor includes a hollow steering column 17 having a handle 18 by means of which the steering column may be rotated. The steering column supports a propulsion motor 19 at its lower end which drives a propeller 20 for moving the boat 10.

Surrounding a portion of the steering column 17 is a sleeve formed of two halves 21, 22 of hollow-semicylindrical sections and having enlargements 23, 24 at their lower ends and enlargements 25, 26 at their upper ends with the provision of a plurality of identical serrations or wedge-shaped teeth 27 on the upper surface of such upper enlargements 25, 26. The sleeve sections 21, 22 with their integral enlargements are secured together by a plurality of radially extending lugs 28,28 which are secured together by bolts 29, a plurality of lugs such as four being provided for securing the sleeve sections together with the sleeve surrounding and freely rotatable on the column 17 for relative rotation and also for endwise movement. An adjustment collar having a semi-circular portion 30 and a cooperating semicircular portion 31 secured together by means of bolts 32 passing through lugs in the collar portion and is secured to the steering column 27 by means of a thumb screw 33 which is threaded through the collar portion 31 and engages the steering column 17 to prevent relative rotation or endwise movement of the collar. The collar is provided with a plurality of V-shaped grooves 34 on its lower edge which mesh with and cooperate with wedge shaped teeth 27 at the upper end of the sleeve preventing relative rotation between the sleeve 7 together by their bolts. It

and the collar and consequently, between the sleeve and steering column. The enlargements 23, 24, 25, 26 of the sleeve sections are provided with circumferential grooves 35, 36 into which inwardly extend flanges 37, 38, 39 and 40 of hollow housing sections 41 and 42 project thereby providing bearing surfaces between the housing formed by sections 41, 42 and the sleeve formed by sections 21, 22, the grooves and flanges preventing endwise movement of the housing with relation to the sleeve.

Afiixed to or integral with housing section 41 is a compartment 43 carrying a steering motor 44 having a permanent magnet 44A for its field so that such motor may be operated in clockwise or counterclockwise direction by the mere reversal of the feed wires thereto. The motor 44 has a shaft 45 which carries a worm 46 fixed thereto, the shaft 45 being rotatably mounted in suitable hearings in the motor 44 and an additional hearing 47 in the housing section 42 if desired, which receives and rotatably supports an extension of the shaft 45. The housing sections 41 and 42 are secured together by bolts 48 passing through lugs 49, four pairs of such lugs being provided to assure that the parts of the housing are secured together. The housing section 42 has fixed thereto a U-shaped yoke 59 which is pivotally connected to the U-shaped clamp 13 by means of a bolt 51 passing through the yoke and positively securing the housing to the clamp while permitting pivotal movement thereof. An angle adjusting bolt 52 is threaded into an enlargement 53 in the lower portion of the housing section 42 and engages the leg 15 of the U-shaped clamp 13 and is retained in adjusted position by means of a lock nut 54 whereby the tilt of the steering column 17 may be adjusted relative to the clamp and consequently relative to the transom of the boat.

A worm gear is formed of sections 55, 56 which are integrally fixed to the sleeve sections 21 and 22, respec tively, or such gear sections may be keyed to the sleeve and secured together by means of lugs 57 and suitable bolts. Four such pairs of lugs with cooperating bolts may be used if desired.

In applying the sleeve and housing as well as the collar to a conventional boat motor, the usual collar fixed to the steering column 17 of the boat motor may be removed by sawing through such collar and removing the same and substituting the sleeve formed of sections 21 and 22 which are secured together by bolts 29, with the sleeve surrounding the column 17. The housing 41 and 42 carrying the steering motor 44 is applied over the sleeve and secured together by bolts 49 and the cooperating collar formed of sections 30, 31 is fixed to the steering column 17. The U-shaped clamp 13 which clamp will be furnished, or which may be the clamp originally furnished with the boat motor, is secured to the yoke by a bolt 51 and the mechanical structure is assembled ready for application to a boat without requiring any major disassembly of the outboard motor.

As different makes of motors have different diameters of steering columns 17, it is necessary to provide means for accommodating the sleeve portions 21 and 22 and the collar portions 30 and 31 to such different diameter steering columns. This may be done by the use of split bushings 191, 102 which serve as adaptors to take up the annular space between a small diameter steering column 17 and the sleeve sections. Split bushings 103, 104 serve as adaptors to take up the space between the steering column and collar sections 31, 32. The bushings which serve this purpose may be anchored into the sleeve portions by means of pins or the like so that such bushings will be positively retained and/or the outside diameter of such bushings may be of a size to be securely clamped when the sleeve or collar sections are secured will also be evident that different thicknesses of sleeve sections and collar sections may be used to provide for different diameters of steering columns so that the same housing made of sections 41 and 42 may be used thereby substantially reducing manufacturing costs and reducing inventories.

Wiring diagram The propulsion motor 19 has the usual electric supply cable 58 which provides current from a four prong I ones type plug, two of the prongs 59 and 60 being provided to supply current to the cable 58 and to the motor 19 and the other prongs 61, 62 being connected to a cable 63 to supply current to the armature of the motor 44 for steering.

A pedal operated switch assembly includes a cast rectangular 'base 64 having an upwardly extending peripheral flange and a plurality of upstanding lugs 65 adjacent one end thereof, such lugs being provided with aligned apertures 66 through which a pivot shaft 67 passes, such shaft serving to pivotally mount left foot pedal 68, right foot pedal 69 and center foot pedal 70. Each of such pedals being of channel shape with flanges extending downwardly and overlapping the peripheral flange of the base 64 and the cooperating lugs 65 thereby providing strong pedal construction as Well as providing suitable portions to cooperate with the shaft 67, the pedals being maintained in proper operating position by such shaft 67, which shaft may be riveted at its ends or otherwise suitably secured.

A U-shaped lever 71 having one leg 72 underlying pedal 68 and the other leg 73 underlying pedal 69 is pivotally mounted on a shouldered screw 74 secured to the peripheral flange under the free end of the pedal and such U-shaped lever prevents simultaneous depression of pedals 68 and 69 to avoid any possibility of a short circuit. The pedal 68 is urged upwardly by a spring 75 and such pedal 68 operates a double pole single throw microswitch 76 by engagement of the pedal 68 with a switch operation lever 77. The pedal 69 cooperates with another double pole single throw switch 78 having an operating lever 79 engageable with the pedal 69 when the pedal is depressed to close such switch 78. The pedal 69 is normally maintained in its raised position by a spring 80.

The central pedal 70 is adapted to engage a button 81 on a single pole single throw switch 82 which has a spring normally urging the switch into open position and urging the button 81 upwardly thereby making it unnecessary to have a separate spring for maintaining the pedal 70 in raised position.

Electrical power for the operation of the propeller motor 19 and steering motor 44 is furnished from a battery 85 by means of leads 84, 85, the lead 84 being connected to switch 82 and by means of a transverse lead 86 is connected to switches 76 and 78, lead 84 from the battery being connected to a transverse lead 87 connected to switches 76 and 78 and a continuation 88 of lead 85 being connected to one of the sockets in a receptacle 89 which is adapted to engage prong 59 and connected to lead 90 to the motor 19,- the switch 82 being connected to another lead 91 which continues to another socket in the receptacle 89 for cooperation with the prong 60 connected to a lead 92 for completing a circuit to the motor 19 when the switch 82 is closed. v

The switches 76 and 78 are supplied with power through transverse leads 86 and 87 and such switches serve to close circuits to leads 93 and 94 which are connected to leads 95 and 96, respectively, which carry current to sockets in receptacle 89 which sockets cooperate with prongs 61 and 62 connected to leads 97 and 98, respectively, for carrying current to the armature of the motor 44 which has a permanent magnet field 44A. The switches 76 and 78 are arranged to reverse the flow of current through the motor 44 to thereby produce rotation of the worm 46 in opposite directions for causing the sleeves 21, 22 to rotate in a corresponding direction and, by means of its teeth 27 engaging the grooves 34 in the collar 30, 31 the steering column 13 is caused to rotate in the desired direction to steer the boat.

The pedal 68 is arranged to cause the steering motor 44 to rotate outboard motor 12 clockwise as viewed from above to steer the boat to the left and when pedal 69 is depressed to close the switch 78, the outboard motor rotates counterclockwise to steer the boat toward the right assuming the boat originally on a straight course. The center pedal 70 serves to operate the main propeller motor 19 and the operator may depress the pedal 70 and either one of the pedals 68 or 69 to obtain the desired operation of the boat. The pedal 70 is arranged to always be above the pedals 68 and 69 so that when the fisherman desires to have the boat move in a straight line or in a fixed curve, the depression of the pedal 70 will result in such fixed steering. However, when the boat is to be turned to the right or the left the corresponding pedal 68 or 69 is depressed and the steering motor 44 operated to give the desired result. The steering motor 44 can be simultaneously or independently operated with respect to the propulsion motor 19 and t he boat may be reversed by 180 of rotation of column 17. The battery is connected to the leads 84 and 85 by means of conventional clips 99, 100 and in the event that the steering motor 44 operates in the wrong direction the mere reversal of clips 99, 100 on the battery terminals will result in reversal of operation of such steering motor 44 without afiecting the propulsion motor 19 as the propulsion motor 19 is a convetnional type which operates in a single direction regardless of the exchange of the battery terminals.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Steering means for an outboard motor comprising a two-part sleeve having bearing grooves, meansto rotatably mount said sleeve around the downwardly extending steering column of the motor, a housing rotatively mounted on said sleeve, said housing being formed of two parts for ready assembly about the sleeve and having bearing portions thereon cooperating with said grooves formed in said two-part sleeve, a split gear mounted on said sleeve, a reversible motor mounted on said housing and driving said split gear and said sleeve for causing said sleeve to rotate in clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the upper end of said sleeve being formed with serrations, a split collar mounted on and releasably secured to said steering shaft above said sleeve and having indentations for cooperation with the serrations on said sleeve whereby rotation of said sleeve causes said collar and said steering column to releasively secure said collar to said steering column permitting raising and lowering of said steering column whereby the depth of the propeller may be varied, a clamp pivotally mounted on said housing, for attaching said housing to a boat, means to adjust the angle between said housing and said clamp, 21 foot operated switch assembly including a base, a pair of pedals pivotally mounted adjacent the sides of said base, a third pedal pivotally mounted on said base between said side pedals, said third pedal being arranged to always extend above said side pedals, means mounted on said base to prevent said side pedals from being simultaneously depressed, a switch operated by said center pedal for controlling the operation of a boat propelling motor, a switch operated by each of said side pedals for controlling clockwise and counterclockwise operation of said steering motor.

2. An attachment for steering an outboard motor having a vertically arranged steering column comprising a sleeve of two semi-cylindrical halves, means to secure the sleeve halves together around a steering column while permitting rotative and sliding movement of the s'leeve on the column, bearing means at each end of the sleeve,

end of the sleeve and preventing relative axial movement of the housing with respect to the sleeve while permitting relative rotation between said housing and said sleeve, means to pivotally secure the housing to a'support, said sleeve having a plurality of upwardly extending projections on its upper end, a collar formed of separable portions, means to connect the separable portions of said collar around the column adjacent the projections on said sleeve, said collar being provided with a plurality of recesses for cooperation with said projections so that when such projections are in engagement with said recesses, said sleeve and collar will rotate together or if a steering force is applied through the usual tiller handle the collar may move relative to the sleeve, and means on the housing to cause rotation of said sleeve relative to said housing whereby the column may -be rotated.

3. An attachment for steering an outboard motor having a steering column comprising a sleeve for mounting on a steering column while permitting relative rotative and sliding movement of the sleeve on the column, .a

housing embracing said sleeve for rotatively mounting said housing on said sleeve and preventing relative axial movement of the housing with respect to the sleeve, means to pivotally secure the housing to a support, said sleeve having a plurality of upwardly extending projections on one end, a collar for mounting on the steering column and provided with a plurality of recesses for cooperation with the projections on the sleeve so that when such pro jections are in engagement with said recesses, said sleeve and collar are prevented from relative rotation with respect to one another, means to fixedly secure the collar on the column, electric motor means on the housing to cause rotation of said sleeve relative to said housing whereby the column may be rotated, a foot operated switch assembly including a base, pedals pivotally mounted on said base and norm-ally urged to inoperative position, a switch operated by each of said pedals, one of said switches being arranged to control rotation of said electric motor in one direction and another switch being arranged to control the notation of said electric motor in another direction.

4. An attachment for steering a boat motor having a steering column comprising a sleeve for mounting on a steering column while permitting relative rotative and sliding movement of the sleeve on the column, a housing embracing said sleeve for rotatively mounting said housing on said sleeve and preventing relative axial movement of the housing with respect to the sleeve, means to secure the housing to a support, said sleeve having a plurality of upwardly extending projections on one end, a collar for mounting on the steering column and provided with a plurality of recesses for cooperation with the projections on the sleeve so that when such projections are in engagement with said recesses, said sleeve and collar are prevented from relative rotation with respect to one another, means to fixedly secure the collar on the column, electric motor means on the housing to cause rotation of said sleeve relative to said housing whereby the column may be rotated, a foot operated switch assembly including a base, pedals pivot-ally mounted on said base and normally urged to inoperative position, a switch operated by each of said pedals, one of said switches being arranged to control rotation of said electric motor in one direction and another switch being arranged to control the rotation of said electric motor in another direction.

5. A foot operated unit particularly useful for controlling the steering and propulsion motors of a boat comprising a base, a first pedal mounted on said base and projecting upwardly from said base a substantial distance, a second pedal mounted on said base to one side of said first pedal and having its upper surface normally below the operative range of said first pedal, a third pedal located on the other side of said first pedal and having its operative range below said first pedal, a first switch operated by said first pedal, a second switch operated by said second pedal, and a third switch operated by said third pedal, said first switch being arranged to control a propulsion motor and the second and third switches being arranged to control a steering motor in two directions of operation, said pedals being so arranged that said first pedal may be operated without operating either of the said second or third pedals, and said second or third pedals may be operated by the same foot which operates said first pedal but a single foot could not simultaneously engage 'and operate said second and third pedals whereby a single unit may control the propulsion and direction of movement of a boat.

6. The invention according to claim 2, in which the steering force is applied to the sleeve by means of a worm '8 axis, and including a propulsion motor and a steering motor mounted thereon for steering movement about said vertical axis, a remotely positioned foot operated control device for controlling said propulsion and steering motors, said device comprising a base, a pair of spaced pedal members mounted thereon in spaced relationship with respect to each other, said pedals connected to and controlling said steering motor and a third pedal mounted intermediate said pair of pedals connected to and controlling said propulsion motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 497,144 Teal May 9, 1893 1,152,963 Mueller Sept. 7, 1915 1,302,956 Owen May 6, 1919 1,485,621 Loefiler Mar. 4, 1924 1,689,962 Peck Oct. 30, 1928 2,039,535 Irgens May 5, 1936 2,081,686 Thomas May 25, 1937 2,277,555 Meuer Mar. 24, 1942 2,295,518 Meuer Sept. 8, 1942 2,433,826 Brown Jan. 6, 1948 2,522,545 Sharp Sept. 19, 1950 2,535,021 Stone et a1 Dec. 19, 1950 2,583,059 Neville J an. 22, 1952 2,654,335 Ball Oct. 6, 1953 

